


the distant rumble of thunder

by kiden



Category: Stargate - Fandom, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 00:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15546018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiden/pseuds/kiden
Summary: Prompted and written very quickly, and emotionally, on Tumblr. A bit of Vala-Teal'c-team schmoop.





	the distant rumble of thunder

Vala shifts closer to the fire, closing her eyes and letting herself relax against the heat of it, a stark contrast to the cold at her back. The dirt underhand could be the dirt of any planet, but it’s not. It’s earth, and the Tau’ri use the word for the soil under their feet, the mountains, the vast deserts as well as for the planet as a whole. It’s the earth and it holds life, the smallest and the very biggest, and she’s been starting to understand why they fight so hard for it.

The music is very good. They have credit cards and strip malls and luxury sedans. Chocolate chip cookie-dough ice cream. There’s eight million of them and most of the ones Vala as met are genuinely good, right down to their bones, and she knows better than most how rare that is. The whole galaxy considered, it’s so, so rare. In her experience anyway.

She moves closer still to the fire and Daniel draws her back with a hand on her arm, never breaking the steady stream of absolute boredom erupting from his mouth. It’s not incredibly interesting, but it’s not directed at her, and anyway she’s gotten used to it. His voice is a steady cadence, just like music, and he’s making Samantha laugh. She could listen to Samantha laugh forever.

"You okay there, Muscles?" she says, drawing her knees up and wrapping her arms tightly around her shins.

Teal’c tilts his head, a content smile on his face, and says, “I am indeed, Vala Mal Doran.” And she gets it, she really does. He’s been infected much longer than she has, but it’s in her veins just the same. The longer she stays the more often she starts thinking that this place is home, these people are home, and she should have seen it coming. Should have anticipated. Maybe she’s getting sloppy, clumsy, but they have a way of knocking her feet. How disorienting their welcoming company can be.

"What about you?" Cam says, tossing a bottle of beer her way. She manages to catch it, only just, and opens it with newly practice ease. Is she okay? She’s not sure. But she’ll still. And it’s something.

It’s wonderful.

"You know me, when am I never not fabulous?"

Behind her Daniel snorts and Sam chuckles and Vala tosses the cap over her shoulder, sure she’ll hit one of them. In the distance there’s a rolling thunder, some storm lurking miles away, but there always is. It’s always coming, it’s always close, and as much as she tries - as much as all of them try - they can never avoid it.

She’s learning though that sometimes, sometimes they can beat it.

"Alright, campers, let’s move this party inside." General O’Neill - Jack, he insists - stands and brushes off his pants, extending his hands to both her and Sam. Vala takes it and his grip is warm and tight on her fingers as he hoists her to her feet. "Thirty percent chance of rain my ass."

She can feel it now, just a few, stray droplets of rain on her face, but it’s a promise. The thunder comes again, not too long after a flash of lightning that, just for a moment, sets the mountainous horizon ablaze. She takes a long sip of her beer and lets it hang loose from her fingertips as, much to her surprise, Jack throws an arm around her shoulders. Vala takes his hand in her own, which is bold but to be fair, he started it. His skin is weathered under her touch, and she can feel the ancient callouses on his fingers that she’s only now developing. ”Don’t drink Mitchell’s beer. It’s piss-water,” he whispers, and just as quick as he pulled her close he lets her go spinning, and she laughs.

"No offense sir, but -," Cam starts. Then, "You know what, nevermind."

"Good call," Daniel says, brushing passed all of them, shielding his glasses from the rain, now coming down heavy around them.

As they all pile into Jack’s house, Vala hesitates, her feet rooting to the earth, watching the rain wash away the fire. It’s on the tip of her tongue to call out, to ask someone to stay with her, to just be still with her, just for a minute, but before she can get the words out Teal’c is already there.

They stand for a few minutes in the rain, the lightning and the answering thunder, and while Vala breathes in the fresh air something is unfurling in her chest. “It’s really wonderful,” she says, and trusts that Teal’c understands.

"Indeed," he answers, just like she knew he would. After a beat, he says, "I believe Daniel Jackson has acquired Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream for you. Perhaps we should join them."

"Perhaps we should," she agrees, and let’s him carry her inside.


End file.
